The Reclusive Top Star Has A Crush On Me

As lunch drew closer, the tension in the air felt thick enough to cut. At every meal before this, Ivory Murphy had made a beeline for the seat directly across from Braxton Reynolds—much to his irritation. Today, though, Braxton had decided he’d be the last one to sit down, or hell, he’d just stand and eat if it meant not facing Ivory again. He savored the thought of her reaction when she realized he was dodging their usual little arrangement on purpose.

But when Braxton looked over at Ivory, he was startled to find her already seated and completely lost in the spread on the table. Her eyes lit up like the food was the center of her universe. She didn’t seem to care where he sat. Hell, she didn’t even glance his way. That unexpected move caught him off guard—and left him weirdly annoyed, like all his plotting had been for nothing.

“Hmph.” He picked a seat as far from Ivory as possible—at the very end of the long dining table.

The other contestants watched it all unfold, thrown by the sudden shift in dynamics. Had Ivory actually changed?

The livestream chat exploded with confusion:

“Hey, where’s the usual pre-meal drama? Did they cut it from today’s episode?”

“Director! Director! Did we lose a scene?!”

Some viewers were disappointed—they’d tuned in specifically for the daily spectacle. Braxton’s fans, though, were relieved, hoping this meant he could finally eat in peace.

As everyone hesitated, unsure where to sit, Ivory’s patience wore thin. She’d been raised to wait until everyone was seated before eating, but even she had her limits. “The food’s going to get cold. Are you all going to sit down, or what?” she snapped.

The group snapped out of it and took their seats. Without Ivory’s usual chaos, the seating arrangement went smoothly; everyone settled wherever they wanted. Still, the chair directly across from Ivory sat conspicuously empty.

Braxton took the far right end of the table, putting as much distance between himself and Ivory as possible. Oscar Alvarez grabbed the next seat over, making sure he was the second farthest away. Keith Morris, after a beat of hesitation, took the chair beside Oscar, steering clear of the spot directly across from Ivory.

Finally, only one seat was left—directly facing Ivory. Jaylani Cunningham eyed it with a mix of envy and regret. She’d hoped to sit across from Ellis Murphy, like she usually did. But today, taking that seat would put her face-to-face with Ivory instead. No way in hell was she doing that.

Feigning a little chill, Jaylani said, “I’m feeling a bit cold. Would it be okay if I moved to the other side, where there’s more sun?”

She tacked on a couple of soft coughs, her pale face practically begging for sympathy. The men’s side of the table was by the window, and with the sunlight streaming in, it was definitely warmer. No one wanted to look unsympathetic on camera, so they quietly agreed.

Relieved, Jaylani started to move—until Ivory suddenly stood up, clearly fed up. She wasn’t about to wait for Jaylani to play musical chairs, and more than that, she wasn’t letting Jaylani ruin her meal by sitting across from her.

“Wait a second!” Ivory called, hurrying upstairs and leaving everyone bewildered.

“What’s her problem?” the livestream chat buzzed.

“Did Jaylani do something to her? Ivory’s reaction makes zero sense.”

“Honestly? Even if Jaylani didn’t provoke her, Ivory’s probably jealous because Braxton likes Jaylani,” someone else commented with a snicker.

Arguments broke out online, and viewers took Jaylani’s side, painting her as the victim.

Oscar rolled his eyes. “Is she seriously that unstable? I actually thought today’s lunch might be peaceful for once.”

Braxton stayed quiet, but a strange sense of relief settled over him—like his earlier doubts about Ivory had been misplaced. Her sudden outburst felt like the same old jealous fit over him. Clearly, she was still as smitten as ever.

“Let’s just eat,” Millie Reed suggested, breaking the awkward silence. Knowing Ivory, she’d probably be upstairs for a while.

Jaylani hesitated, then quietly offered, “Should I go check on her? She’s upset because of me. It’s my fault...”

Mikaela Jackson grabbed Jaylani’s hand, scowling. “What do you have to apologize for? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ivory’s antics had been a thorn in Mikaela’s side since day one on the show. Mikaela had planned to steal the spotlight with a dramatic persona, but Ivory’s unpredictable behavior kept overshadowing her.

As the group tried to move past the scene, Jaylani secretly fumed. Ivory’s stunt had thrown off her plans, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that her grip on the show was slipping.